Body Mass index (BMI) - How to calculate?

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a
commonly used calculation using the relationship between height and weight to
determine how close to a healthy weight someone is. The origins of how to
calculate your BMI have their distant beginnings way before obesity was a
critical issue in society.

The BMI formula was developed in the
early 19th Century by the Belgian statistician Adolphe Quetelet.

Though modified since its creation
the measure is still used extensively, this is because it gives a range of
someone, who is within a “normal” range, should weigh instead of a specific
figure. It is also extensively used as it can indicate how over or underweight
an individual is and can be used to suggest the rate at which they can lose
weight in a healthy manner to have a sustainable weight loss.

How to calculate your BMI. The graph
shows you the BMI’s indicators of underweight, healthy weight overweight and
obese in relation to the various heights, the way it is calculated is outlined
in the formula below:BMI = (Mass In Kg) divided by height in metres squared.

How to calculate your BMI.

To calculate your own Body Mass Index
follow the guide below or use the calculator from the graph below.

To calculate your BMI using metric units,
follow this method.

Step 1. Weight yourself in kilograms

Step 2. Measure your height in metres.

Step 3. Divide your weight by your height and then
divide this number by your height again.

To calculate your BMI using Imperial
units, follow this method.

Step 1. Weight yourself in pounds

Step 2. Measure your height in inches.

Step 3. Divide your weight by your height and and
divide this number by your height again.

Step 4. Multiply this number by 703.

Despite it’s popularity the Body Mass
Index does have some limitations because it fails to distinguish between males
and females, whose body composition is different. The BMI also
fails to take into consideration that muscle weighs more than fat and so many
athletes and body builders are considered overweight and some are even
considered obese when using this measure despite having a very healthy
lifestyle.